Straightedge device for use in trimming sheet material



Oct. 23 1923.

C. H. MITCHELL STRA'IGHTEDGE DEVICE FOR USE IN TRIMMING SHEET MATERIAL Filed Oct. 13 1922 IF I/vvE/vTofi;

CLYDE H MITCHELL, l BY W, v M

ATTORNEY- Fatented Get. 23, i923.

nausea CLYDE H. LVTITCEELL, Z3 MIIJNEAPOLIS, MINNESGTA.

STRAIGHTEDGE DEVICE FOR USE INTBILVIMING SHEET MATERIAL.

Application filed (lctober 13, 1922. Serial No. 594,309.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLYDE H. MITCHELL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at hlinneapolis, in the county ofHennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain 7 new and useful Improvements in Straightedge Devices for "Use in Trimming Sheet li Zaterial of which the following is a speci- My invention relates to straight edge devices for use in trimming sheet material.

An object is to provide a device of this char acter by means of which wall paper, window shades and other sheet material can be quickly and easily trimmed at the desired distance from the edge of the material by cutting along a perfectly straight line.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detailed description, and the novel features of my inventive idea will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate the operation of my invention in one form,--

Fig. l is a top plan view of the device. Fig. 2 is a view in vertical section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is an edge view of a sheet of wall paper or other sheet material folded for cutting.

As shown in the drawings, I provide a support or base consisting of two members 10 and 12 which are secured together by of wood. Screws 16 secure a brass plate 18 to the upper front portion of the member 10, this plate constituting a surface upon which the cutting may be done. Secured to 20 which extends slightly above the upper surface of this member and which constitutes an abutment with which the front edge of the material to be cut may be en gaged. Screws 22 secure a pair of arms 24 to the lower front portion of the member 10. Attached by pivots 26 to the fronts of the arms 24 are arms 28, the outer portions 30 of which are bent at right angles and pro vided with teeth 32 which constitute racks. The portions 30 of the arms 28 extend slidably through sleeves 34 to which is secured a straight edge cutting guide 36. A rearwardly extending convex strip 38 is secured hinges 14, the two members being preferably the front edge of the'member 10 is a strip.

it is customary to butt the adjacent edges of to the guide 36 and this strip carries been ings 40 in which a shaft 42 is rotatably mounted. Secured to the shaft l2 are a pair of pinions 44 which mesh with the rack teeth 32. Secured to the shaft 42 is a bevel gear l6 in mesh with a .bevel' gear 48 mounted for rotation on a channel member 50 secured to the strip 38' Secured to the gear 48 is a handle 52'bywhich it may be rotated.

V The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood in con nection with the foregoing description. The drawings illustrate the use of the device in connection with a sheet of wall paper P whose edge is to be cut on a straight line. 7

. This sheet of paper'has been coated with paste on one side after which the end portions have been folded over so as to oonstitute the two folds-F. In the use of the device, the support is placed on standards or horses and the two pivoted arms 28 are 1 swung down on the pivots 26 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 carrying with them the bar 36, the shaft 42 and the parts associated therewith. The paper to be out is placed in proper position on the support and the arms 28 carrying the parts associated therewith are turned back upon the paper. The vertical portion of the bar 36 constitutes a guide or straight edge f0r85 a cutter and this guide can be moved toward or away from the strip 20 at the front of the support by operating the handle 52, said guide being maintained parallel tothe strip 20. The amount of material trimmed off can thus be varied as desired. The trimming is performed by running any suitable cutter along the bar 36 as a straight edge.

In Fig. 1 a cutter which may be used is des-' ignated by the character C. This cutter forms no part of the present invention and does not need to be described in detail. In hanging heavygwall paper or wall covering.

the sheets instead of overlapping them on the wall and it is particularly desirable in suchcase that the edges should be trimmed on a perfectly straight line in order that there may be no gaps between the edges of. the paper when on the wall. It will be un-; derstood that my devicemay be used for trimming other material such as window shades. The device can be folded for car lying purposes since the support consists of two members hinged together.

I claim:

1. A straight edge device "for use in trimmingsheet material. comprising a support, arms pivotally attached to the front of said support, rack teeth on said arms, a straight edge cutting guide, pinions carried by said guide and meshing with said rack teeth. and means for rotatin said pinions to vary the distance of said guide from the front edge of said support While maintaining it parallel thereto.

2. A straight edge dev1ce for use in tr1mming sheet material comprising; a support, arms pivotally attached to the front of support, rack teeth on said arms, sleeves slidahly mounted on said arms, a straight ege eutting" guide attached to said sleeves, sotata'hly carried by said guide,

i Ours J. s

said stiip pinions pinions secured to said shaft and meshing with said rack teeth, and means for rotating said shaft.

3. A straight edge device use in ming sheet material comprising a sup= art, arms pivotally attached to the front of said svpport rack teeth on said arms, sleeves .idahly mounted on said arms, a siaight edge cutting guide attached to said sleeves.

*1 resirwai'dly extending COHVQX strip secured to said guide, a shaft rotate ly mounted on secured to said shaft and with said rack teeth a bevel gear secured to shaft a second bevel gee carried by said strin, and a handle secu mentioned for rotating V l. i rush whereof i hereunto my 

